Monthly Archives: September 2012

2012 Twins Game Log

2012 Game 138: Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins

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Jeanmar Gomez
v
Liam Hendriks

The Twins passed Colorado and are now ranked third in MLB. Cleveland, however, is right behind the Twins in the Race For #1. Personally, I like their chances better.

The Twins have a respectable 20-32 record in the second half, but aren't getting it done in the division with a 26-27 record. Additionally, they're just handing third place to the Indians with a 7-4 mark against them this year. The Indians are two games behind the Twins and have a four game series. I see them tying, if not outright taking the lead, by Monday night.

Finally, the Twins take on Kansas City after while Cleveland heads to Texas. The Twins have a ridiculous record of 10-5 against the hapless Royals while the Indians have split against Texas in six games so far. I just see no way the Twins retain third place and wouldn't be surprised to see them drop to fifth, behind Colorado once again.

WGOM Fitness

WGOM Fitness: September 7, 2012, I’m Awake, Really I Am

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One of the things that I have been conscious of for the last several years is the amount of sleep that I get (or do not get). I really want to get at least seven hours of sleep a night, but there are a number of nights when that just doesn't happen. When I make my trips up to ND, I go to bed about 8:30, so at 3:30 AM, I have seven hours in. One of my biggest problems, though is that I sometimes go through periods when I wake up in the middle of the night and then can't get back to sleep. That hasn't happened for the last week or so, but Tuesday night/Wednesday morning was a 5 1/2 hour sleep event and yesterday afternoon about 5:30 I fell asleep at my desk.

Last night, I went to bed about 10:45 and got up at 6 AM. I slept very soundly, so I should be good today. But, yes, sleep is important and it's something that I have to work on.

Day 45
Weight: 262.0
Total Loss: 22.5
Loss in last ten days: 3.2

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–September 7

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Dave Foutz (1856)
Hooks Wiltse (1879)
Curt Davis (1903)
Tommy Matchick (1943)
Joe Rudi (1946)
Willie Crawford (1946)
Darren Bragg (1969)
Jason Isringhausen (1972)
Mark Prior (1980)

It appears that no major league players with connections to the Minnesota Twins were born on this day, although there are some who would argue there should have been.

Friday Music Day

Friday Music Day: Sept 7, 2012

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A few things:
1. Dolfish is touring this fall. He's playing the "Amsterdam Bar and Hall" in/near downtown St. Paul on Thursday, Nov. 29. That's a week after Thanksgiving. I don't know what cover will be (if there will be). Also playing: We Are the Willows.

I mentioned Dolfish once before, but, short songs that hit like the best Fiction 59 Spookystories. He packs more weight, depth, humor, regret, and human weakness into a very affecting two minutes than I've heard just about anyone else fit into a full album. I guess it's singer-songwriter stuff, but his instrumentation isn't like that, and his voice sounds like a gruff woman. I dowloaded his one release to date, the free EP "Your Love Is Bumming Me Out," without any idea what was on it (I think HHT shared a bill with him in Columbus and linked to it), and it grabbed me and hasn't let go. I really think you should go download it now and listen to it. If you don't like it, you're out what...? $0 and 8 minutes. Anyways, I'm excited for this show, it's all I've got on my fall calendar so far (music-wise).

2. Animal Collective released an album this week and I haven't even tried to listen to it. Enthusiasm fades, I guess. SPIN had a list they compiled of 127 artists that inspired them (mostly musicians, but not entirely). I liked seeing Gas, the Orb, Basic Channel, Black Dice, and Vladislav Delay listed. I've never listened to Gas, but I've been listening to the Burger/Ink album the past week between Dolfish and Pete Tosh. (The Ink half of Burger/Ink is Mike Ink who is actually Wolfgang Voigt a/k/a Gas.)

3. I swear I had one more thing I wanted to say but, I guess not.

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Now please share your list.

Uncategorized

Classic Album Reviews: The Pogues — Rum, Sodomy & the Lash (1985)

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By 1985, punk rock was storming off in all sorts of musical directions. There was proto-punk, country-punk, art-punk, dance-punk, and hardcore-punk. One of the more interesting sub-genres was Irish or Celtic-Punk. Irish Punk was thought of as Irish folk songs or Irish folk-inspired songs revved up to a punk like speed. Locally, the band Boiled in Lead was a fantastic purveyor of traditional Irish music with a punk sensibility. Nationally, however, The Pogues were front in center and Rum, Sodomy & the Lash was the album you had to have if you were into Irish or Punk music.

The Pogues were a perfect Irish band: You had the lead singer, Shane MacGowan - skinny, horrible teeth, hard drinking, gravelly voice; a band with upwards of 7 to 10 members, depending on who was sober or healthy at the time, and a bunch of traditional Irish songs. The album was a blast with songs about drinkin', bleak industrial city living, Jessie James, war, lovers who left, and drinking. The album kicks off with The Sickbed of Cuchulainn an Irish romper sing-along. Dirty Old Town is exactly about what the title says: what it is like living in an old industrial-era city that is crumbling around you. The songs open with the classic line: "I met my love by the gas works wall..." You get the picture.

Other favorites include Sally MacLennane which again is fast, fiesty sing-along. I'm sure this was sung at many going away parties. The highlight of the album is The Band Played Waltzing Matilda which describes an Australian's horrifying experience fighting the Turks in WWI. One of the strongest anti-war songs ever written and it makes me think sadly of our soldiers coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan with broken bodies, never again able to dance.

The album is a fun, singable, danceable ride. The musicians are top notch and the songs are a great combination of old and new Irish songs. A bunch of these songs would be perfect for any party tape, wedding dance, or just to listen to get the blood pumpin'. For that reason Rum, Sodomy & the Lash I consider a classic album.  What do you think?

 

 

WGOM Fitness

WGOM Fitness: September 6, 2012

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Yesterday was a long, long day. I got up at 4:30, I was at work by 5:30 and left the office at about 8. I got home and I was tired. But, I stayed on the diet and I am down 0.5 pounds this morning. I figure that Mom and Dad's scale is about 2.5 to 3.0 pounds heavy, so I weighed in at 262.0, but I think on the home scale I'll be under 260.

Day 44
Weight: 262.0
Total Loss: 22.5
% of body weight lost: 7.91%